Former Holby City star Chizzy Akudolu hopes Strictly Come Dancing will change her life on both the physical and health fronts.
She left the medical drama in June after a five-year run as surgeon Mo Effanga.
The 43-year-old, who lives in east London, opted to leave the drama after a “rollercoaster” two-and-a-half years in which she has suffered from depression and faced a cancer scare.
Explaining why she’d said yes to Strictly this year, she said: “It’s fun, it’s a lot of hard work but it’s beautiful, it’s glitzy, it’s glamour, it’s just so sexy and it’s just gorgeous.
“I’m looking forward to learning the dances, but really I’d love to get fit and I’d love to lose loads of weight.”
Prior to joining Holby in May 2012, Akudolu starred on both screen and stage, with notable appearances in EastEnders, Green Wing, The Inbetweeners and a semi-regular role on Channel 4’s Campus.
She said while she has no previous dance experience, she does have “rhythm and I think I can take choreography quite well but I think it’s just going to be the memory and it’s all new”.
The actress revealed her biggest challenge will be fitness.
“I used to be really fit when I used to do karate, I was mega fit but I just got lazy. Once I get my fitness back, I’m not going to lose it,” she said.
“This is going to totally change my life physically and from a health aspect, totally change my life, I just know it will.”
Strictly Come Dancing returns for the launch show on BBC 1 at 7pm on September 9.
